FANTASY HOCKEY

{"playerId":636,"percentChange":-0.4,"averageDraftPosition":125,"percentOwned":78.5,"playerRaterSEASON":7.5,"playerRater7DAY":3.9,"mostRecentNews":{"news":"Staal scored his first goal in 12 games during Wednesday's win over Toronto.","spin":"During the scoreless span, Staal did chip in six assists, and the veteran pivot has a respectable six goals and 18 points over 25 games for the campaign. He entered Wednesday's game averaging a healthy 19:19 of ice (2:40 of power-play time), so his prime role should help him avoid additional lengthy scoring droughts going forward.","date":"Wed Dec 7"},"fullName":"Eric Staal","seasonOutlook":{"outlook":"What does Staal have left in the tank? That's the question Wild fans are wondering after the veteran center was signed in the offseason to a three-year, $10.5 million contract. The one-time 82-point-scorer had the worst season of his career in 2015-16, recording just 39 points in 83 games -- including only six in 20 contests with the Rangers after Carolina traded him away. In Minnesota, Staal will get a shot as the team's top center, as Mikko Koivu is aging and youngster Mikael Granlund hasn't quite panned out (at least, not yet). One would think that wing options like Zach Parise, Nino Niederreiter, Jason Zucker, Charlie Coyle and Jason Pominville would be enough to get the Thunder Bay native going, but he had a strong supporting cast on Broadway down the stretch last year, too, so it's anybody's guess as to how the 31-year-old will fare in the \"State of Hockey.\" Plan for a ceiling of around 50 points and a modest uptick in goals from the 13 he scored last season, but don't be surprised if he continues to regress should he struggle to find chemistry with his new team.","seasonId":2017,"date":"Thu Sep 15"},"playerRater30DAY":8.1,"playerRater15DAY":4.9,"positionRank":18}

Wild D Eric Staal chats with Scott Burnside about his transition to Minnesota, the connection his has with his brothers that play in the NHL, how he has fit into the new locker room, developing chemistry and more.